Sharing the Past Ch. 01

This story contains both m/m and m/f relationships and sex scenes -- more m/m, particularly at the start.

This is one of three shorter and inter-related stories I'm writing following up different characters from Friends and Foes, but if you haven't read that story I hope I have written it so you can still get into this one.

If you are familiar with my other nonhuman stories, this one involves Tilly, Dill, Sam and Tom, and starts with the other side of a scene at the beginning of Chapter 9 where the Were commando unit stops a truck carrying some unconscious Weres, and threatens the unsuspecting driver...

* * * * * *

Jon sat very quietly in the car, trying to make some sense of what had just happened, but it didn't. He pinched himself hard, but all that caused was pain and he had to accept that he was not dreaming, glancing across at the man driving him and wondering what on earth he was going to do now.

The day had started out odd, come to think of it. He drove for a living when not at university, earning good money easily and without any great hassle. In fact a couple of years of driving had allowed him to afford going to study in the first place. It was enjoyable work and didn't tax his brain, perfect for getting a break from studying, and he was on the books of a couple of agencies that would find him work when he was able to do it. An early morning call saying they had received an urgent job was not unusual, but it had gone downhill from there...

"What do you mean there's no delivery address?" he asked the man in the office.

"You'll get a call to tell you where to do the drop off when you're on your way. Don't ask me, I know it's unusual, but they are paying a lot of money for this secrecy."

"What's in the truck?" Jon asked, not liking the sound of this already.

"Dunno. It's sealed. Nothing valuable or dangerous I was told."

"How about illegal?"

He got a sharp look then, and really didn't like the way this was going.

"You're getting paid extra not to ask. They said it isn't anything that will get you into trouble."

"That sounds like famous last words. Where am I heading then, if I don't have an address?"

Okay, so it might not have been the brightest idea to agree to it, with hindsight, but then he couldn't possibly have expected anything much to happen. Besides which, the extra money was a serious draw, and he couldn't really afford to turn it down. So he took the vague instructions, got in the truck, and drove.

Three hours later, still driving, and still no phone call, he had started to get bored waiting, and was getting more and more concerned about what he was doing. What if there was no call? How would he explain not knowing what he was carrying or where he was going if anyone official asked?

He'd decided to pull over and put a call into the office to check up, and was looking out for the next lay-by. There hadn't been much other traffic around for a while, so he noticed the black 4x4 heading in the other direction, and maybe he'd spotted the similar vehicle behind him, but everything else had happened so fast he couldn't now be sure.

The car slewed across the road right in front of him and he slammed on the brakes, turning the steering wheel to avoid a collision, and screeching to a halt not far from the vehicle, wondering what the hell the other driver was thinking. As a group of burly men spilled out of the car he decided he didn't care and went to reverse, only then noticing the same thing was happening behind him.

He was panicking now, as a lot of hefty and angry looking men came towards him. A moment too late he had the thought to lock the door, but before he could do it he had been pulled out of the cab and was pinned to the side of the truck. Jon was pretty sure he'd never been more scared, because even if he could get away from this guy there were more than half a dozen other guys looking just as menacing behind him. The question, one that Jon didn't understand, was growled at him, low and threatening.

"Where are they?"

"I don't know what you mean," he stammered out in reply.

Some of the men moved then, and he knew from the sounds he could hear that they were breaking open the back of the truck. He could only pray that whatever was in there really wouldn't get him into trouble. Or perhaps he should just be hoping it wasn't any more trouble than he was apparently already in. When the guys around him started to look even more pissed off he didn't think there was much hope, and when he was pinned even harder to the van and threatened he wondered how the hell he was going to get out of this.

He'd found an unusual saviour in the woman, who he hadn't even noticed up until that point, but then she was a hell of a lot less scary than any of the guys that had been taking his attention. She even got the man off him, and her soft voice was a relief, not that he could let his guard down too much. Her questions were less demanding, and he did his best to answer, trying to calm himself as she seemed his only hope of getting out of this without being beaten up.

It went very quiet after he told her his concerns about what was in the van. Even though she had turned her back to him he didn't dare move, sure any movement would draw the attention back to him. When they started to leave he let out the breath he had been holding, but the woman stayed with two young men who he was pretty sure could beat him to a pulp if they wanted to. She looked back to him and he wondered what was going to happen now.

"Is there someone you can call to come get you? We'll be keeping the van."

"You can't. It's not mine."

When she reached out to grab his arm he tried to pull away, but her grip was firm. At least it wasn't painful like the one around his throat had been. He didn't really want to look in the back, but she took him there anyway, and when he saw what was in there he was shocked. Of all the things he had considered, people were not on his list. Especially not unconscious ones strapped down to trolleys. They should be in an ambulance, not the back of a truck.

He didn't argue when she told him again she would be keeping the truck, and since it came accompanied by a veiled threat to call the police it was much easier to go along with what she was telling him to do. Call someone to get him, save him from his point of view, and only one person sprang to mind. He just hoped he would be there.

"Ross, thank god. Please can you come pick me up. Now."

"Are you okay? You sound weird," Ross replied.

"I'm fine, honestly, but I need a lift like right now. Please."

"Okay, where are you?"

He reeled off some directions, trying not to say anything about what was going on but hoping his tone would convince Ross of the urgency of his request. He knew he could rely on him for help, he just kept wishing he could ask him for a lot more. He'd happily offer Ross anything, but he was sure he wouldn't be interested. He was just glad he had him as a friend, and he tried not to let his other feelings about the gorgeous man show when they were together.

Turning back to the truck he saw that the two remaining men were carrying the unconscious ones away, and he was being left with just the woman after being allowed to call for help. He relaxed then, sure that no matter how bizarre this had been, he was going to come out of it safe. He even managed to tease her a little as they chatted, but he was still desperate for Ross to get there and for him to be out of this situation entirely.

It seemed surprisingly normal to be chatting about the course he was doing at university with a complete stranger, probably only because up until that moment it had all been strange and scary. Still, when he saw Ross's car heading towards them and pulling up sharp behind his truck he was even more glad.

He tried not to look too hard, but Ross looked worried, his features strained, but still so beautiful with his blond hair shining in the sunlight that Jon had the familiar pull in his stomach and desire to kiss him. As usual he fought the feelings back and greeted Ross with a friendly smile. He even managed not to respond to the touch of Ross's hand on him, even though it sent electricity through his body.

"What the hell happened Jon? You sounded freaked on the phone. Have you been robbed?" Ross asked, looking at the busted doors on the van.

"I'm fine Ross, and no, I wasn't robbed. I just need a lift home. Can I go?" he asked, turning to the woman.

She nodded. "Two things first though," she said, digging in her pocket and finding a pen and paper. "This is the number for a man called Matt at Arcan Construction. You've heard of them?" He nodded this time, clearly unsure what she was doing. "Call him tomorrow. You must have about six weeks of the holiday left, and he'll give you a job for the rest of it if you want."

He looked at her, slightly suspicious, but a lot less than his friend clearly was judging by his face.

"How can you be sure of that?"

"I'll tell him to. Say you were out driving the other day and you were given his number."

"It's really that simple? Forgive me being a little wary, but since when do huge companies like that hire some random person from the side of the road. If you're serious that would be a great opportunity, but how do I know you're not a nut?"

She smiled at him. "You don't, right now, but if you call him you'll find out. It'll be a lot better and much more useful than driving a van randomly round an area."

"Okay. And the second thing?"

She looked between him and Ross, looking uncertain for a moment, before she spoke.

"The second thing... Sometimes people just need a little push to realise what is right in front of them. All those glances; those innocent little touches that send tingles through your body; when you get a moment to drink in the sight of the one you desire; all the times you want to say something and decide it isn't the right time, or you'll be laughed at and lose a friend; all the times you go to bed alone and dream of a warm body next to yours -- all of that is happening to him too."

Jon hadn't been too aware that Ross was still touching him, but at the woman's words Ross drew his hand away sharply, immediately making Jon doubt what she was saying even more than he already was. There was no way that Ross returned any of his feelings.

"There's no reason to be scared any more," she continued. "you can have what you want, you just need to start talking and take it from there."

Jon gave a quick sidelong glance at the other man, but Ross was still focussed on the woman, probably trying to digest what she was saying. He managed to stammer out a question.

"What are you on about? Who?"

Jon saw her roll her eyes as though she thought his question was incredibly stupid. However, from his point of view he knew well what she was on about, he was just terrified that Ross might find out what he felt and things would never be the same between them. He couldn't lose his friend even if that was all they would ever be.

"I'm talking to you about him, and him about you. Forget all this unrequited shit, it's not worth it, trust me. Requited is much more fun!"

For the first time, Ross spoke to her directly.

"How? What made you say that stuff?"

She shrugged again. "I'm psychic. Like I said, sometimes people need a little push to see what's in front of them. You two are perfect for each other, trust me."

Jon and Ross exchanged nervous and clearly embarrassed glances, a very brief eye contact that just made Jon convinced he should challenge her further.

"You're not psychic. How do you know anything about us?"

She grinned. "If I told you, I'd have to kill you!"

* * * * * *

Jon glanced nervously at Ross as he drove the car away from the scene of probably the weirdest thing that had ever happened to him. He tried to process what had gone on and how a day out driving had turned into him being forcibly stopped, threatened by a group of muscular men, discovering he was transporting a couple of unconscious guys, and the strange woman they had left him with offering him a job, but all he could really focus on was the last few words the woman had spoken to them.

He looked across at Ross again, watching as the sunlight shone through his beautiful blond hair, and wondered if any of what she said could be true. Was he sitting there, trying to concentrate on driving, but thinking about Jon and if they should really give this a try. It seemed unreal, but she had seemed so sure after only meeting them for a few moments.

He'd known Ross for nearly two years. Nearly two years of want and lust, and for most of that time Ross had been dating a woman. Maybe she had been able to pick up on how he felt about Ross, but he still doubted very much that any of those feelings would be reciprocated. He let out a sigh, as quietly as he could, and tried not to go back over what she had said, failing straight away.

What she said, every part of it had made sense to Jon. Somehow she knew what he felt about the man by his side and what he had been trying to hide every time they were together, sneaking glances to use in his fantasies at night, even though it only made him feel worse that he could never have the reality.

Jon had felt his heart leap at her words, she was saying that he could have what he had wanted for so long. Ross hadn't denied it, but he seemed more cautious about what she was saying. Perhaps she was wrong, it was only him that wanted this. After all, Ross was straight, he reminded himself. They had shared a glance then, but he had looked away, embarrassed that the other man was finding out what he felt like this.

Perhaps it wouldn't be ruined, and Ross wouldn't believe her at all. That had to be better than him losing a friend because he was lusting after him. He had challenged her, in the hope that Ross would think he was also unaware of the truth of what she said. Even if he could never have a relationship, he couldn't be without Ross in his life.

Back into the moment, he kept looking across at the blond man, checking if he looked upset, but mostly checking him out. Maybe there had been some truth in all that had been said, maybe Ross did want him too. Or maybe he was just letting his imagination run away with him based on the ramblings of some strange woman.

Ross pulled to a stop at some red lights and looked across at him, making him blush slightly as their eyes met. He raised an eyebrow in question.

"What are you thinking?"

Jon had a moment of panic. He'd been thinking about lingering drugging kisses and naked bodies intertwined, unable to stop his mind running off with the idea that Ross might want him. He swallowed hard and said the first appropriate thing he could think of.

"I need a drink."

It went quiet again, and he thought that the look he got from Ross was one of disbelief, but he drove them to pub in the neighbourhood they both lived and a short while later they were sat with pints in front of them, trying to relax despite the fact there was clearly tension between them. Normally they would have been laughing and joking, today they were both silent as they drank. Ross again broke the silence.

"So, are we going to talk about what she said?"

Panic rose again but Jon tried to control it. He didn't want to hear this, it was bound to be bad. He tried to change the subject and hoped that Ross would leave it alone.

"Do you think I should find out about that job?"

"Yes I do. But you know that's not what I meant."

He knew, he was just too afraid of what was going to be said.

"I know, it's just...."

"Scary?"

As good a word as any, Jon supposed, but terrifying was more accurate right then. He just agreed, not wanting to be drawn too far.

"Yes."

"I know the feeling. But I also think we need to do it."

Shit. Moment of truth then. Either that woman was crazy or there was some hope. He tried to think of what he wanted to say but his mouth went dry at the thought of making any admission of what he felt. He could lose so much, despite what she had said.

"I don't know where to start."

"Then I will. How about I start with something you must have wondered about. I'm bisexual. I've been in relationships with women and men. In fact, my longest relationship was with a man. We were together for nearly two years."

That had been on Jon's mind, but the girlfriend had kind of persuaded him Ross was straight. That blew that assumption apart, but a bi man, he wasn't sure about whether that was good or bad. Sure, he would be up for sex, but could it ever be anything more than that. On the other hand, if he thought about it from his own point of view, could he do just sex? Would he take whatever he could get to be close to the man he wanted or should he just push him away now and save himself from the hurt?

"You're not picky."

Ross felt sad at the implication of that comment. It made it sound as though he couldn't be serious, and yet he knew what he felt for Jon. It was the fact that he was bi that was making him think he couldn't be faithful or want more than a night, and he needed to make it clear that was not the case.

"No, I'm very picky. It takes a very special person to interest me, but when I do find someone that special it doesn't matter to me whether they have breasts and a pussy or an ass and a cock. It's them, how cute they are, how sexy, how much I want to spend time with them, whether it's just chatting over a pint or making love with them."

He saw Jon's eyes widen at the pint comment and then even further when he said making love. He knew he needed to take this softly and persuade him that he wanted a lot, not just a quick fuck. He couldn't imagine that if he got one night it would be anything like enough.

"What happened with your girlfriend?"

Definitely going to be the sticking point, Ross thought to himself. If it had been a man that he was involved with he wouldn't be having to explain himself.

"I liked someone else. Too much, and I knew it, but I tried to carry on with her because I thought the other person wasn't going to be interested. Then one night I was in bed with her and I couldn't focus. I knew she wasn't what I wanted. Well, who I wanted. I couldn't even keep hard while I was supposed to be fucking her, but then I started to imagine that instead of being in her pussy I was in his ass, and I came harder than I had for months. I felt so guilty about it though, so after we'd calmed down I told her what had happened and that I couldn't do this any more."

"That must have been an awkward conversation."

"I thought it would be, but it turned out she'd been doing pretty much the same. There was a guy that she really liked and she was imagining I was him. Not good for the ego, but I could hardly complain about it since I'd just admitted doing the same. We agreed to call it a day and she went off and is very happy with that man. I decided I'd have to be single if I couldn't have who I wanted."

Jon seemed to be thinking hard about what he had said, which Ross hoped was a good thing. He hadn't explicitly said that it was Jon he had wanted, but he figured that was fairly clear by now. He just didn't want to push it that far just yet.

"Why did you think you couldn't have...him?"

Ross heard the slight pause and it almost made him grin. Jon knew, but he was still being cautious. He looked him in the eyes as he replied, trying to see the reaction.

"When you spend time with someone, you get to know them. When you want them, you look for all the signs that they might like you too. All those things that woman said, the glances and reacting to touches, I looked for all of that, but I never saw it."

"Me neither," Jon muttered. "But maybe I wasn't really looking."

"You don't get the bisexual thing, do you? You need to understand it doesn't really make a difference. Just because my last relationship was with a woman does not mean I can't or won't commit to one with a man."